Seahorses are classed as a fish in the family Syngnathidae,
which also includes seadragons and pipefish. They clearly do
not look like your typical fish with curling tails that clasp
seagrasses and other suitable objects, their elongated horse-like
head and their lack of scales. They are the only fish with a
neck. The long tubular "nose" of the seahorse, seadragons
and pipefishes is actually a fused jaw from which the family
name Syngnathid is derived. It acts like a suction gun when prey
is being eaten and is fully equipped with a ‘pressure release
valve’ on top of the head. When prey floats past, the seahorse
closely examines it and then in a flash, strikes and sucks it
into its mouth. Larger shrimps may be attacked by a number of
seahorses and consumed in stages as the shrimp’s softer
body parts are targeted. As seahorses do not have the capacity
to store food for extended periods in their stomach, regular
feeding throughout the day is required.
The most remarkable aspect of the seahorse is the fact
that it is the male who gets pregnant and gives birth to
live young (fry). This seems to be a very pleasing attribute
to many females of the human kind! (See breeding notes for
more details).
The exact number of seahorse species around the world is unknown, though Kuiter
(2000) suggests the number to be in the order of 60, of which 25 are found in
Australia. They are found in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical marine waters
around the globe. Some species are estuarine while others inhabit coastal environments.
Several excellent books on seahorses can be found in the Seahorse
Shop. Kuiter’s
book "Seahorses, Pipefishes and their relatives" contains the most
comprehensive account of the Syngnathid family with many fantastic photos. Warland’s
book is ideal for anyone considering keeping seahorses at home.
